In the wake of Boy Scouts of America's announcement that they will allow girls to participate in their program, make no mistake - Girl Scouts is unparalleled in its ability to serve girls with a leadership experience they simply cannot get anywhere else.

"The work of today is the history of tomorrow and we are its makers." This quote by Girl Scouts' founder, Juliette Gordon Low, is scrawled permanently in three-inch letters on my office wall, where I can see and recite it daily. But I don't just say it. I know it. I see it in our work. Every day.

Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. This is the mission of the Girl Scout organization. Our mission, programming, and all other objectives revolve around girls' healthy development - and they're backed by research and conclusive data.

In an age that all too often finds girls shying away from and opting out of leading, Girl Scouts is committed to being a place where girls find their voice, share their opinions, and work together in a girl-defined and girl-led space. Here, girls are free to explore their potential and take the lead without the distractions or pressures that can be found in a coed environment.

This comes with powerful mentorship from caring adults who serve as girls' troop leaders, camp counselors, and role models. There's a unique confidence that girls develop when they see firsthand, through these positive role models and access to countless opportunities to lead, who they can become.

While it's very true that girls live in a coed world and need to have the skills to succeed in a coed environment, the reality is that success is grounded in confidence. Studies by the Girl Scout Research Institute and others show that girls value "safe spaces" where they can confide in trusting adults and other girls. In this setting, girls feel free to talk about issues they wouldn't necessarily talk about in the presence of boys, try out new activities without fear of failure, and experience less pressure to look or act a certain way.

You might be thinking, What about the boys? From coast to coast and inner city to rural plain, there are millions of boys in need of motivation, guidance, and leadership skills - which Boy Scouts can provide.

Additionally, for more than a century, camping has been a cornerstone of the Girl Scout experience. Girls hike, camp, swim, sail, and row; they cook, craft, and sew. They're versed in archery. Our organization remains committed to ensuring that girls have opportunities to take part in everything that camp and the outdoors have to offer. Our council, for one, has four beautiful camps in western and central Massachusetts.

And let's not forget badges. Girl Scouts earn badges ranging from Think Like A Citizen Scientist to Survival Camper. And they sell cookies. Our iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program is unrivaled in its ability to teach girls financial literacy skills for today and tomorrow. The workforce pipeline Girl Scouts creates starts as young as five, when girls sell their first Girl Scout Cookies, and in the process, learn vital financial literacy skills that benefit them their entire lives.

At Girl Scouts, we seek to ensure that every girl has opportunities to take the lead in the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through hands-on "learning by doing." And our one-of-a-kind civic engagement programming lets girls lead on issues they care about in their communities and be recognized by their peers and neighbors as the societal champions they are.

Beyond that, Girl Scouts gives girls the chance to pursue the most challenging, rewarding, and life-changing award for girls in the world: the Girl Scout Gold Award. Our Gold Award is a top-tier credential for girls as they enter their post-high school lives, enabling them to distinguish themselves in the college admissions process, earn college scholarships, and enter the military one rank higher. And in the professional realm, the distinction of "Gold Award Girl Scout" is seen as exemplary, setting these girls above other candidates.

If I had to name just one thing that girls learn through Girl Scouting, it's the capability to tackle pretty much anything. From building robotic hands to creating libraries that teach new immigrants how to read English, our girls have done amazing things for more than 100 years. With the right encouragement, guidance, and training, they grow into confident women who lead by example as they accomplish great things in the world.